‘Horror and Deepest Sorrow’: New Jersey Republican Councilwoman Shot Outside Her Home
Michael Ippolito /
A New Jersey Republican leader expressed his “horror and deepest sorrow” at the news that a councilwoman in Sayreville had been shot.
Republican Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, 30, was shot Wednesday night in her car outside her house.
At around 7:22 p.m., authorities received a 911 call about shots fired in Sayreville, New Jersey, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office reported in a statement Thursday. The Sayreville Police Department responded to the scene, and upon arrival, the officers found Dwumfour in her car. After they found her, she succumbed to her multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Dwumfour served in numerous roles besides being a councilwoman, including as a business analyst, a part-time EMT, and a pastor at Champion Royal Assemblies, a Nigerian-based church. The motivation for the shooting remains unknown and police have yet to identify a suspect, NBC New York reported.
New Jersey Republicans and Democrats condemned the shooting.
“She had a bright future ahead of her, and this senseless act of violence took that away from her and her loved ones,” Middlesex County Republican Chairman Rob Bengivenga told the New Jersey Globe. “My thoughts and prayers are towards her family, friends, and the residents of Sayreville during this awful time.”
“I ask everyone to take a moment and remember the Councilwoman and keep her and her family in our prayers,” Middlesex County Democrat Chairman Kevin McCabe told the Globe. “This and other acts of violence [have] to end. And it must begin with each of us. We should take this moment to be mindful of our neighbors, work together to keep our families safe, and treat each other with civility.”
“On behalf of the New Jersey Republican State Committee, I would like to express our horror and deepest sorrow at the senseless violence that claimed the life of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour,” New Jersey State Republican Party Chairman Bob Hugin said on Twitter.
“We will remember Eunice for her steadfast dedication for her community, as well as her deep and abiding Christian faith,” Hugin added. “We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement will bring the perpetrators of this heartbreaking tragedy to justice. God Bless Councilwoman Dwumfour and her family.”
“I am stunned by the news of Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour’s murder last evening in an act of gun violence,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Her career of public service was just beginning, and by all accounts she had already built a reputation as a committed member of the Borough Council who took her responsibility with the utmost diligence and seriousness.”
“I send my condolences to Councilwoman Dwumfour’s family and friends, her governing body colleagues, and the entire Sayreville community,” Murphy added. “Sayreville is a proud, tight-knit, and safe community and I know that it will come together, as it always has, in common purpose. The New Jersey State Police are supporting the ongoing investigation, and I urge anyone with information to contact either the Sayreville Police or the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.”
The investigation is ongoing, and all questions and information should be sent to either Sayreville Police Department Detective Rebecca Morales, 732-727-4444, or Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Michelle Coppola, 732-727-4444.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email [email protected] and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.